Tokyo: Earth Online Manga Artist.

Eri Aragaki asked curiously, "What good news?"

"Didn't you say before that you were planning to move and looking for a suitable luxury apartment?"

The store manager said with a smile, "I also inquired about it for you."

Eri Aragaki was slightly taken aback.

The store manager continued, "Then I happened to find an apartment that would be perfect for you. The person in question is a former business partner of mine, and he's willing to offer a fair price for the apartment."

Eri Aragaki immediately became interested and asked, "Where is it? What are the conditions?"

The store manager said, "That apartment is in Bunkyo Ward, only a ten-minute walk from your sister's school, which you mentioned earlier, and about a twenty-minute train ride to Shueisha."

Eri Aragaki's eyes lit up.

"The house has three bedrooms and one living room, one master bedroom, one secondary bedroom, and another room that is about six stories high and can be used as a studio."

The store manager continued to describe the layout, saying, "The kitchen is separate; it's not big, but it's sufficient. The bathroom has a bathtub, and the balcony faces south with excellent natural light."

He paused for a moment, then said, "The apartment is on the fifth floor, with an elevator. There's a convenience store and a supermarket downstairs, so life is very convenient. The surrounding environment is also very quiet, which should be perfect for your work drawing comics."

After hearing this, Eri Aragaki was already excited.

This perfectly aligns with her previous ideas and requirements.

It's near Erina's school and Shueisha, with three rooms, a bathtub, a separate kitchen, and a balcony.

It was practically tailor-made for her.

Eri Aragaki asked, "What about the rent?"

The store manager immediately replied, "He's willing to pay only 20 yen, plus other fees, it'll be around 22 yen."

Eri Aragaki was taken aback; the number was much lower than she had expected.

For a luxury apartment in a location like Bunkyo Ward, this price is indeed very reasonable.

Eri Aragaki asked, "Manager, is this price really okay?"

The store manager said, "I've known that customer for a long time. He heard that it was a serious and hardworking manga artist who had already signed a contract with Shueisha, so he gave me this price. Don't worry, he won't rip you off."

Eri Aragaki was overjoyed and quickly said, "Thank you so much, manager! You're really too kind."

She bowed to the store manager.

The store manager waved his hand and said, "I should thank you. You've helped me a lot at the store these past few days, and I haven't had a chance to repay you. This is a good opportunity to return the favor."

He took a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Eri Aragaki.

"Here's the landlord's contact information. Just call him and remember to mention that I referred him."

Eri Aragaki took the business card and glanced at it.

The business card had a name and a phone number printed on it: Nobunari Sasakawa...

This name sounds like it belongs to a middle-aged Japanese person from a bygone era.

"Manager, thank you so much."

She carefully put the business card into her wallet and said, "I'll contact the landlord in the next couple of days."

The store manager said with a smile, "No rush, the house is still there, take your time."

He took a sip of coffee and added, "By the way, you'd better bring a friend with you when you go looking at houses, so you can look out for each other."

Eri Aragaki replied, "Okay, I understand."

Ayane Takeda stood to the side, watching this scene thoughtfully.

She seemed to understand what Eri Aragaki meant when she said, "Good people will be rewarded."

……

After noon, Eri Aragaki and Ayane Takeda went home from get off work.

Eri Aragaki changed out of her work clothes and put on her own.

She put the folder containing the storyboard drafts into her backpack and zipped it up.

Ayane Takeda had also changed her clothes and came out of the dressing room.

She asked curiously, "Senior, are you... going somewhere else?"

Eri Aragaki said, "Yes, I met with the editor to review the storyboard."

Ayane Takeda immediately gave a thumbs-up and said, "Go for it, senpai!"

Eri Aragaki nodded and said with a smile, "Thank you. You should also go home early and be careful on the road."

The two walked out of the convenience store together.

The sun was blazing outside, and a wave of heat hit us.

Eri Aragaki narrowed her eyes and walked towards the station.

Ayane Takeda walked in another direction, and after a few steps, she turned back and waved.

Eri Aragaki waved and continued walking forward.

When she arrived at the station, she boarded a train bound for Chiyoda Ward.

There were quite a few people on the tram, but it wasn't crowded.

Eri Aragaki found a seat by the window and sat down, holding her backpack in her arms.

She looked at the street scene flashing past the window, her mind preoccupied with the storyboard.

Because of memories from a past life, the storyboards and such were naturally based on the comics I read in my previous life.

That was a storyboard style that Hajime Isayama had chosen after many days and months of research, and Eri Aragaki didn't intend to be clever and draw other storyboards herself.

At most, it will be adjusted appropriately based on the animation produced by Wit Studio.

After all, if you're going to plagiarize, you should do it properly. Unless it involves issues of values ​​and worldview, Eri Aragaki doesn't intend to arbitrarily change the original work.

Having experienced the immense popularity of the original work, she was very confident at this moment.

The tram took about twenty minutes to reach Jimbocho Station.

Eri Aragaki got off the train and walked out of the station.

She met up with Masaya Sakurai at a cafe near the Shueisha office building today.

The café is at the end of the alley, with a wooden sign hanging at the entrance.

The signboard reads "Chicha どんぐり", and the handwriting is a bit blurry.

Eri Aragaki pushed open the wooden door and went inside.

The bell on the door rang out with a clear, crisp sound.

The shop was quiet, with only one person reading a newspaper in the corner.

The warm yellow light shone on the wooden floor and tables and chairs, creating a cozy atmosphere. Behind the bar stood an elderly gentleman with gray hair, wearing a white shirt and a black apron.

He glanced at Eri Aragaki and said, "Welcome."

Eri Aragaki scanned the store but didn't see Masaya Sakurai.

She arrived fifteen minutes earlier than agreed.

She walked to a seat by the window and sat down, placing her backpack on the chair next to her.

The old gentleman came over and handed her a glass of water and a menu.

Eri Aragaki took the menu and glanced at it. It contained coffee, black tea, juice, and several simple light meals.

She didn't really want coffee, so she ordered a cup of black tea instead.

The old man nodded and turned to prepare.

Eri Aragaki took a folder out of her backpack and glanced at it.

The storyboards for the three episodes were neatly tucked inside.

She drew each page very carefully, clearly marking the storyboards, characters, and speech bubbles.

She closed the folder and placed it on the table.

Then she picked up her water glass, took a sip, and waited for Masaya Sakurai to arrive.

About ten minutes later, the door bell rang again.

Eri Aragaki looked up and saw Masaya Sakurai walk in.

He was wearing a white shirt and dark trousers, and carrying a briefcase.

Her hair was a bit messy, like she had just run out of the editorial department.

He saw Eri Aragaki and walked towards her.

"Ms. Aragaki, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

He said apologetically.

Eri Aragaki said, "No, I just arrived too."

Masaya Sakurai sat down opposite her and placed his briefcase beside him.

The old gentleman walked over, and Masaya Sakurai ordered a cup of black coffee.

Then he looked at Eri Aragaki and asked, "Did you bring the storyboard?"

Eri Aragaki pushed the folder in front of him and said, "I brought it. It contains three chapters."

Masaya Sakurai took the folder, opened it, and turned to the first page.

He began to read it carefully.